Family Connection Archives - Business RadioX ®

CARE Day….We See You!

March 4, 2026 by Tom Sheldon

Northeast Georgia Studio

CARE Day....We See You!

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Aaryn Fisher & Judge Sherry Moore

Jackson County Mental Health Task Force

Join Probate Judge Sherry Moore and other community leaders for a monthly meeting of the Jackson County Mental Health Task Force, a collaborative effort focused on improving mental health awareness, expanding local resources, and reducing stigma across the county. Launched in May 2023 in partnership with Family Connection, the Task Force brings together educators, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, faith leaders, and concerned citizens to address the growing mental health needs of Jackson County families. Meetings are open to anyone interested in supporting or learning more about local mental health initiatives. The group gathers on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Jackson EMC Board Room, 850 Commerce Road, Jefferson, Georgia.

All are welcome—your voice and participation can make a difference.

Tomorrow Together presented by:

Bouchard Farms, where a doctor with land and a dream for Jackson County, meets. Learn more at boucharddevelopments.com

Recorded and Produced at the Northeast Georgia Business RadioX studio located at the Empower College & Career Center of Jackson County.

Visit negabrx.com for all series produced at the Northeast studio.

Aaryn Fisher, Executive Director of Jackson County Family Connection

July 29, 2024 by Tom Sheldon

Northeast Georgia Business Podcast

Aaryn Fisher, Executive Director of Jackson County Family Connection

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Aaryn Fisher/Jackson County Family Connection

Jackson County Family Connection is a collaborative organization that links businesses, agencies, and citizens together for the betterment of children and families in Jackson County.

Family Connection is the largest statewide network of communities in the United States. Each of the 159 counties in the state of Georgia are a part of the network and have made a commitment to improve results for families and children.

Jackson County Family Connection is a community based partnership of public and private leaders, agencies and organizations, businesses, local government, the faith community, families, and youth. The partnership provides as opportunity for organizations to work together to improve the lives of citizens in Jackson County through collaboration.

Jackson County Family Connection is not a service provider; rather, it is a formal process of collaboration, promoting results-focused planning and local decision making.

The collaborative has created a strategic annual operating plan to guide its efforts to improve conditions for Jackson County families. Embedded in this plan are goals to ensure that all children are healthy, start school ready to learn, succeed in school, and have strong, self sufficient families. The work of the collaborative is based on a framework of accountability which calls for reforms to be made in the way that we support families, the way decisions are made, and the way that we address financing and budgeting.

Jackson County Family Connection is a private 501(c)3 organization run by a volunteer board of directors that employ an Executive Director.

Our Community Partner for this episode of Northeast Georgia Business Radio is Bizzy Bee Exterminators. A giant thank you to Brandon and his team for their continued support. Bizzy Bee Exterminators is a leading termite and pest control company that has been serving Georgia since 1972. Free inspections – visit Bizzy Bee Exterminators today!

Northeast Georgia Business Radio is presented in part by Regions Bank.

Start Building your financial confidence at Regions Bank. Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Member.

Erin Thompson Podvin & Jennifer Griffeth with Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens

June 8, 2024 by Tom Sheldon

Northeast Georgia Business Podcast

Erin Thompson Podvin & Jennifer Griffeth with Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens

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Jennifer Griffeth & Erin Thompson Podvin

Erin Thompson Podvin & Jennifer Griffeth/Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens

Established in 1920, the mission of Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens is to create, maintain and nurture a culturally diverse and collaborative community partnership that focuses on the whole family; surrounding students with a community of support empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Their team of passionate Site Coordinators and Neighborhood Leaders work hard to eliminate barriers to success by connecting children and families to resources that will help them thrive. They take a “boots on the ground” approach, working directly with children and families; while also leveraging firsthand knowledge of the issues facing individual communities. Their network of thought leaders, government officials, local and state experts, entrepreneurs, executives, nonprofit directors and others identify and implement programs and policies. At FC-CIS they believe in a more equitable community for all Athenians.

Our Community Partner for this episode of Northeast Georgia Business Radio is Bottom Line Tax Solutions. A giant thank you to Jacqueline and her team for their continued support. Bottom Line Tax Solutions specializes in the 3 “P’s” of income taxes: Tax Preparation, Tax Planning and Tax Problem Solving. Are you paying too much in taxes? You probably are! Bottom Line Tax Solutions saves their clients thousands in taxes each year; visit them today.

Northeast Georgia Business Radio is presented in part by Regions Bank.

Start Building your financial confidence at Regions Bank. Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Member.

Wanda Stitt-Gohdes with the Oconee Area Resource Council (OARC) and Coleman Benko with Oconee State Bank

May 10, 2018 by Garrett Ervin

Beyond The Cupola

Wanda Stitt-Gohdes with the Oconee Area Resource Council (OARC) and Coleman Benko with Oconee State Bank

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“Beyond the Cupola” allows invited customers, community, and team members of Oconee State Bank to have an opportunity to share their stories of success and inspiration, and/or how the Remarkable culture of Oconee State Bank has inspired them to mark lives in their own right.

Wanda Stitt-Gohdes/Oconee Area Resource Council

The Oconee Area Resource Council is part of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, a Georgia statewide initiative of 159 community collaborative partnerships committed to making measurable improvements for children and families in Georgia.

Controlled at the community level, Family Connection is present in every county in Georgia. It is the largest statewide network of communities in the nation that have made a commitment to improve results for children and families. In Oconee County, the OARC collaborates with local, state and national organizations to research the needs of their community and work together to address those needs.

The OARC pursues that goal by addressing the root causes of problems, building on their strengths, pooling resources, engaging an extraordinary diverse group of community members, and committing to a long-term process of planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Using a family-centered approach, schools, health and human service agencies, business, the faith community, law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs, and others work together with families, focusing on academics, physical and mental health, nurturing parenting, economic success, and community service.

Coleman Benko/Oconee State Bank

In the early 1900s, there were banks in all the small towns of Oconee County… Bishop, Bogart, Eastville, Farmington and Watkinsville. When the Depression came along in 1929, all the banks went broke and Oconee County was without a bank for the next 30 years. Farmers and small merchants had to travel to Athens for their banking needs.

In 1958, a group of community leaders recognized the need for a bank in Oconee County and started a process of getting the necessary approval for a state chartered community bank. In 1959, the FDIC approved a community bank and Oconee State Bank opened its doors for business on February 1, 1960 with 3 employees and a small corner office on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville.

Today, Oconee State Bank has 3 full-service financial centers located in Oconee County, GA as well as a website which serves as an “Internet Branch.” The vision of the founders continues today. Oconee State Bank is proud to provide an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, value-added products, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities they serve.